JOIN USAt 46, Liladhar Bhatt is fighting on two fronts. A businessman, Bhatt is pursuing his Bachelors in Social Work degree from IGNOU as well fighting a tough election in RK Puram where odds are against him.
Hailing from Uttarakhand, he is confident of reclaiming the seat for Congress, which it lost to BJP in the 2013 Assembly elections. Bhatt speaks with Shemin Joy.
How difficult is your fight in this election?
Not at all. I do not encounter any difficulty. I am a resident of this constituency and working here for the last 25 years. People here know me and so there is no problem.
You sound very confident in winning this election though it seems odds are against you.
Yes, I am confident. Congress has won from this constituency thrice earlier. It is not a difficult constituency for my party.
Last time, sitting Congress MLA Barkha Singh lost the seat by a huge margin. BJP is confident of a win because of Modi wave.
There is no Modi wave. The government employees are now angry with the NDA government. The employees are not satisfied with the Dearness Allowance allocated by the government. Earlier, it was 10 per cent, but now it has been reduced to six per cent.
There are also apprehensions about raising retirement age (though the government has denied it). The NDA government has not taken any step to tackle price rise. Middle-class and lower middle-class people in the constituency are angry with all these.
You are fighting against sitting MLA Anil Sharma. How do you see his work?
He has not done anything in this constituency though he was an MLA for about a year.
RK Puram has an interesting mix of voters from slum dwellers to students to government employees. What are your election issues?
The constituency is facing a host of problems. Water scarcity, cleanliness and sanitation are major issues. I would try to find solutions to these problems. There are villages in the constituency where there are problems of water. That is a concern area.
What are other issues in the constituency and what are your plans to get it right?
There is a need to ensure that water is reaching every household. That is not happening.
There is no proper water supply even in colonies where govt employees are residing. I will engage the Delhi Jal Board and ensure proper water supply.